Chris Broholm (A plethora of whiskey!)

Text A plethora of whiskey!

The Fair

On Saturday November 7th we had a whiskey fair planned in the store, 4 of the major national importers each brought a wide selection of their whiskeys, which could then be purchased in 2cl shots with prices ranging from 10 kr ($2) to 100kr ($20).

I went to work at 9 am, and 2 pm the whiskey fair started. Our store was open for another two hours, so this was the most crucial point in time of the day. About 150 people had made their way to the fair, and we were still open for regular business – talk about horrible planning.

Wine & Spirits Newbie?

Now, I’m not a huge spirits fan myself. Whenever I drink pure spirits I usually find them too strong for my mouth and throat, so I usually don’t do it. Since I am a Wine Apprentice my focus of education is wines and will always be, but since a healthy spirits department goes so well with a wine store I need to build up some knowledge about spirits aswell.

The whiskey fair gave me a good opportunity to check out a variety of different types of whiskey, there was the young, potent peaty bastards that tasted like a bonfire and then there were the 32+ year olds that were just amazing. The older the spirit, the more rounded the edges become so it treats my palate very well, and you can hardly feel the alcohol.

A Port Ellen Whiskey
A long but rewarding day
So after about 11 hours at the job, including about 20 samples of whiskey, a handful of beers and plenty of sandwiches I was done for the day, but I was a few experiences richer – Thanks to all who made this a very enjoyable day.

Whiskeys to look out for:
Port Ellen 32 Year+ - The Distillery was closed in 1983, so this is getting more and more rare – But very mellowy, rounded and well-tasting.
Glen Grant – Even thought it was rather young, it had a very round, fat touch to it that made it very drinkable and the alcohol very acceptable!

I’m sure I’ll make a more in-depth article or series about the other types of beverages I’m working with on a daily basis, until then be sure to leave a comment and follow me on twitter: @chrisbroholm I have a lot of new content planned!